Vapor apparatus



1,563,286 W. N. NORWOOD VAPOR APPARATUS FiledMay 14, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l l Nov. 24,- 1925.

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W. N. NORWOOD VAPOR APPARATUS Filed mayv 14. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSESI-D Nov. 24, 1925.

W. N. NORWOOD VAPOR APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1923 3 Shees-Sheet f5 WNNOTLUOMZ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES WALTER`N. NORWOOD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VAPOR kAPPARA'FU'S.

Application vfiled. May 14,

To aZZwLom t may concern.'

Be it` known that I, WALTER N. Nonwoon, a citizen of the United States, residing atv Los Angeles, inthe county of Los Angeles and State of California, `have invented new and useful Improvements in Vapor Apparatus, of'which the following -is a specifica* tiOn. K

This invention relates to improvements in means for generating vapors and gasesy from air, earth, wood and other substances and is an improvement upon patent numbered 986,202, granted to me March 7, 1911.

Like the above mentioned patent, the present invention aims to providea simple, reliable, effective and economical apparatus whereby medical vapors or gases of'various kinds may be rapidly and conveniently generated and usedfin the treatment and cure of various internal and external 'disordersA or diseases of the human system and for the prevention of contagious and infectious diseases.

It has been found however, that the time necessary to generate a sufficient amount of vapor or gasforthe treatment of a patient is from one to two hours, depending upon atmospheric conditions, theaverage time be ingv about one and one-half hours. The

amount ofgas or vapor which is generated would' last from -one to onetandl one-half hours, also `depending y upon atmospheric conditions, so that after the treatmentof a patient it would require from one to twohours to produce sutiicientvapor or gas for the treatment of the next patient.

It has alsobeen found that owing to the arrangement of the flue which connects the generator or furnace with the treatment cabinet, that the products of combustion, smoke and fumes would back up into the furnace through the furnace opening instead of going up the "flue and to lower the door ofy lthe ,furnace before theA fireV burns to its proper degree of heat, would cause the re s to smoulder4 and ,interfere with' ythe propergeneration of the gas. A

' The present invention has -forits primary object the overcomingof these objectionable featuresand Vinaddition, cheapens the constructionof -the apparatus without in any manner detracting from its efliciency.`

Withth'e above 'and other objects inview, the invention-further includes the following 1923. Serial No. 639,032.

novelfeatures and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated 4in the accompanying drawings `and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :f-

Figure 1 is a side elevation4 of avaporv or gas generating apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2' is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 1-l,- tif-5, and .6e-6 respectively of Figure l.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the furnaceor heater. y i

Referring in detail lto thejdrawingawhera in `like characters of `reference denote corresponding parts, by reference toFigure 2 it will be seen thaty in the Vpresent form of the invention there are provided two furnaces, suitably spaced apart Vandindicatedat 1 and which are designedfor the vaporization and generation of gases from wood and other suitable material. The furnaces include suitableI internal construction for burning or votherwise subjecting the material to the actionof,heat,.forvthe,liberation of gases or vaporstherefrom; They are embedded inthe ,earth for an appreciable depth and their fronts -are exposed by suitable pits 2 vwhich are formed in thel ground so as to permitv of access to the furnaces. As shown the fronts ,of the furnaces are provided .with openings for the insertion of the material to. be treated and theremoval of the residue after treatment, as well as the inlet of air for supporting combustion. This opening is controlled by a vertically slidable door.3, whose side edges extend beyond the side edges of the opening. The door 3 kis suspended .l from a rope-or cable 4 which passes orer suitable pulleys. 5 and has at* tached thereto, a weight 6 whichbalances the weight of the door. By4 pullingdown upon the-weight, the dgorfmay be elevated and sustained in any desi-red positiom or by raising the weight the door may be opened. and will close by gravity. VFor the purpose of holding. the door inA `openposition, the present invention contemplates the use of, a rod or prop 3a, the said rodgorprop yacting to holdthe door at any', suitableeheight and causing it to securely .engagethe frontof the furnace.

Extending from each furnace 1 are rearwardly projecting passages or flues 7. These passages or flues are located below the surface of the ground and have one of their ends in communication with the rear ends of the furnace 1 by means of an upwardly inclined portion 7, so that the vapors and gases fromthe furnaces will rise upward. The ends of the fines remote from the furnaces join and communicate with a common flue 7b' and extending from this last mentioned flue are upwardly extending branches 9, each of which comnninicates with a treatment box or cabinet 8. The passage of the vapor of gases to these cabinets is controlled by a valve 10, which is provided with a stem 11 extending upwardly through the ground to the surface, so that the valves may be readily manipulated to open and close the supply of gas or vapor to either of the cabinets. Each cabinet consists of a box-like structure open at the top and provided at one end with an upwardly extending` exhaust flue 12 for the passage of the vapors under certain condi tions after use, the branch 9 forming the inlet to said cabinet opening through the bottom thereof at any suitable point along its length. The cabinets are arranged within a house or suitable enclosure at a desired distance from the furnace l.

The flues 7 extend through a primarily formed ditch and are covered with earth up to the ground level and in addition to the upwardly inclined portions of the fines, the latter preferably slightly incline at a suitable angle from their inlet to their delivery ends to facilitate the flow of vapors or gases therethrough. The iines are formed of side and top walls of porous brick or tiling and are open at the bottom, so that the vapor or gas on its iow therethrough will extract from the earthen base and through the porous walls of the flue, the moisture and medicinal properties of the salts of the earth. The iiues are separated into a plurality of channels by vertical partitions or division walls 13 and the latter are interrupted or provided with communicating ports 14 at spaced intervals, so that `gases or vapors flowing through the several channels will pass from one to the other and thus become thoroughly co-mingled on their travel through the fines to the cabinets.

Each of the flues 7 is provided at one or more points along its length with a medicament supply pipe or inlet 15 extending upwardly therefrom to a point above the surf face of the earth and through which any desired liquid or solid medicament from which it is desiredA to generate a gas or vapor may co-mingle with the vapor from the furnace and may be interposed and converted into vapor by the heat of the vapor from the furnace. The pipe l is provided with any suitable top or closure 16 and may also be employed for admitting air to the flue to co-mingle with the vapor when such a combination is desirable. Also communicating with each of the fines are one or more chimneys or outlets 17 for the escape of noxious gases and products of combustion initially generated in the furnace, cach of which chimneys or outlets is provided with a suitable closure 18. Below each chimney the liues are deepened or extended as at 19 to provide pockets or reservoirs into which medicinal substances which are to be converted into gases or vapors to co-mingle with those of the furnace, may be introduced, thus allowing for different kinds of compositions of vapors to be generated and co-mingled according to the nature of the disease or disorder to be treated.

Beyond each chimney 17, the flue is provided with a valve or a damper 20 which has a controlling handle or stem 21 extending` through the earth to the surface, whereby the valve or damper may be adjusted to regulate the speed of flow of the vapor or gas through the flue. Each valve or damper shown may also be completely closed for the purpose of preventing the noxious vapors and products of combustion initially generated by the furnace from passing through the flue to the cabinet and for causing them to discharge through the chimney and medicament inlet associated therewith, allowing all of the noxious substances to entirely discharge.

AS soon as these substances discharge and the generation of an innoxious medicinal vapor begins, the outlets and 17 are closed and the dempers opened for the supply ofthe vapors or gases to the cabi nets,'it being apparent that the cabinets may be independently or simultaneously supplied with vapor as occasion may demand.

The treatment of patients with this form of apparatus is substantially the same as that described in my former patent.` In the present form of the invention however, suiii cient gas or vapor may be generated in one of the furnaces and when its proper'medicinal value is reached, it may be conducted to either one or both cabinets through thek manipulation 0f the dampers, the purpose be ing however, to conduct it to one cabinet for the treatment of a patient. Vhile this treatment is being effected, vapor or gas may be generating within the other furnace and the other cabinet will thus be ready for the reception of a patient at approximately the same time the patient is ready to leave the first use-d cabinet. A continuous operation of the apparatus is thus possible by the alternate use of the cabinets. Further, by arranging the invention in the manner described, different 'kinds of vapors or gases CFI may be generated to treat both internal and external diseases with they use of the same cabinets, one furnace operating to produce gas or vapor best suited for internaldisw eases, while the other furnace may be used to produce gas or vapor best suited for external diseases, so that two classes of patients may be treated at the same place with the use of the saine cabinets.

It is believed by many medical nien, that if creosote could be administered direct into the lungs and not into the stomach, that tuberculosis could be cured. By my method of apparatus creosote is obtained in a gaseous form and breathed direct into the lungs. Passing the smoke, fumes or vapors through the ground, as per my invention or apparatus, is a method by which the medicinal substances and helping agents or gases may be obtained direct from the earth and administered direct into the system through the respiratory tract to cure and prevent internal diseases. By the method or process of my invention or apparatus of passing through the earth the smoke, fumes or vapors form the burning of wood, the irritating, stiiiing and offensive substances are eliminated and the medicinal substances in the ground are drawn into the vapors.

Then the fire in the furnace first commences to burn, it starts ofil making genuine natural smoke; as the heat from the iire increases the substances of the earth are drawn into the flue and begin to form vapors or gases. This process continues forming more gas and less smoke, more gas and less smoke, until a certain stage of heat and generation is attained whe-reby the irritating, sti'iiing and offensive properties of smoke are eliminated. Although the vapors or gases are very hot when coming from the furnace, they are cool and pleasant to inhale when they reach the cabinet, by passing through the ground.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right s herein reserved to make such changes as prop erly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is v 1. A gas or vapor producing apparatus comprising a plurality of generators, a plurality of receptacles for the gas or vapor, underground conducting iiues connecting the generators and receptacles, said iiues being porous for communication with the surrounding soil to extract the. moisture and medicinal substances therefrom and means for directing the tlow of gas or vapor from the generators to any of the receptacles.v

2. A gas or vapor producing apparatus comprising a plurality of generators, a receptacle for each generator, underground ilues connecting each generator and receptacle, said fiues being porous for communication with the surrounding soil to extract moisture and medicinal substances therefrom and means whereby the fiow of gas or vapor through the flues may be controlled to direct said gas or vapor from either of the generators to either of the receptacles.

3. A gas or vapor producing apparatus comprising a plurality of generators, a receptacle for each generator, a substantially if-shaped underground flue having its adjarent ends connected to the generators, said fines being porous for communication with the surrounding soil and having their adjacent ends connected to the generators, branch conduits connecting the opposite end of the Y-shaped `flue with each of the receptacles and means for controlling the passage ot gaseous vapors from the generators to the receptacles,

et. A gas or vapor producing apparatus comprising a generator, a receptacle for the gas or vapor, an underground conducting tlue, said flue heilig horizontally arranged and on a plane above the generator and being porous for communication with the surrounding soil, an upwardly inclined conduit extending from the genera-tor and communicat-ing with one end of the fiue and means establishing communication between the other end of the iue and the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

TALTER N. NORVOOD. 

